Textiles

Moisture testing for textile fabrics

In the textiles industry, since many fabrics are hygroscopic, they can quickly absorb water from a wet atmosphere. They can just as readily give up moisture content to a dry environment. Most physical properties of a fabrics fibers are affected by the fabric’s water content. These would include: Fiber length and dimension, strength, elasticity, electrical resistance, etc. Fibers are often selected for a particular fabric based upon their ability to wick moisture or their purpose may be to insulate based on layering. In any event, moisture content is of utmost importance in fiber and fabric production.

Finna Group makes several textile moisture meters that are suitable for this type of moisture measurement, both in single layer fabrics or reams of yarn, cones, rolls, or stacks of fabric. Finna Group’s SMART III NIR moisture meter is ideal for all textile materials and fabrics since it will non-destructively measure the moisture content without contacting the fabric. A light from the sensor is simply shown onto the surface of the moving or stationary fabric. Instantaneous moisture content can be viewed on the digital display and a control signal is available for dryer control through the customers PLC. The Models A8, DA-8, N8 and T8 are ideal for ream or roll stock measurement. In particular, the Model T8: Thin Materials Moisture Meter has a measurement electrode designed specifically for textile materials that consists of three concentric brass rings and covers a measured area three inches in diameter. Additionally, the Model DG-9 probe type meter can be used to non-destructively check moisture content at any point on the stacked fabric or ream. Its probe would be inserted into the stacked fabric to measure a radio frequency field about three inches in diameter and the length of the probe (typically 6 inches).